Butler County must not be forced into the position of giving back to the state $90,000 allocated to the Association for Retarded Citizens. There are a number of worthy uses for the money in other programs outside the scope of the ARC.

Therefore, the county commissioners were correct in setting a deadline for the ARC to either spend the funds in question or return them to the commissioners for reallocation elsewhere.

The ARC's deadline is June 15; the money must be returned to the state if it isn't spent by July 1.

The money was given to ARC last year by the county to pass along to the agency's employees in the equivalent of a $1-an-hour raise. The intent of the money is retention and recruitment of in-house direct-care workers.

Other agencies that assist mentally retarded clients, to which the commissioners made similar allocations, had no difficulty spending their money as intended. It's puzzling that ARC has had such difficulty doing the same.

Although ARC and its union still haven't agreed upon a new three-year contract, it would seem that both by now should have been capable of acknowledging the money deadline and keeping the funds out of possible jeopardy.

The fact that the deadline is so near raises questions about the mood around the bargaining table and the stumbling blocks to a new contract that remain in place.

It is in the best interests of both sides of the negotiating table that the money not be lost, either by the county or to another in-county agency.

Other agencies already are contemplating uses for the money, if it would become available to them. Lorraine Widener, a finance officer for the county's mental health/mental retardation and drug and alcohol programs, says there is a waiting list of county projects that are in need of funds.

Some of those should get the ARC's money if ARC doesn't use it very soon.

Meanwhile, the commissioners have postponed a $76,015 contract with ARC because of their concerns about the agency - raising questions about whether something is happening within ARC that the public hasn't been told about but should know.

Most agencies don't have problems keeping abreast of deadlines and finding good uses for resources under their control.

In this instance, ARC has known what the money is to be used for but still hasn't exercised leadership and reponsibility.

The situation is an embarrassment for ARC officials and a source of pain for those who should already be benefiting from the money.

The commissioners shouldn't give ARC a day beyond June 15 to straighten out this matter.